Cannaceae

I prefer species cannas, or primary hybrids, since they tend to be resistant, but not immune, to the predations of the Leaf Roller Caterpillar. If you prefer the canna hybrids with enormous blooms, buy Dipel Dust by the case and use it often! Most of those listed below will produce viable seed, to sow or use as sling-shot ammunition.

Canna nomenclature is in a confused state, some use the names preferred by a taxonomic "lumper", P. J. M. Maas, and others champion the names proposed by the taxonomic "splitters", Koyama & Tanaka. As a result, to be precise, I have had to use the species name in italics, followed by the authority (botanist who published the name) and the year it was published. Thus in one case, I am specifying Canna indica L., 1753, and not C. indica Curtis, 1799. L. refers to Linnaeus (a.k.a. Carl Nilsson, a.k.a. Carl von Linné) the "Father of Bortany" and 1753 to the year he published Species Plantarum, the beginning of our modern binomial system of nomenclature.

Canna X 'Madame Paul Caseneuve' - 'Madame Paul Caseneuve' Canna - Perennial

An outstanding heirloom Canna, officially introduced into cultivation in 1902 in France. It has been judged by many to be the most beautiful of all Cannas. The blooms age to an exquisite shade of pink with a feathering of pale golden-salmon. Its maroon-bronze highlighted leaves provide the perfect background to the blooms. Grows 4' to 6' tall in full sun to half-day (afternoon) sun. Looks best if given a deep watering every two weeks during a dry summer. This selection has not been affected by caterpillars in my landscape.

Canna X 'Constitution' - Perennial

Canna X 'Durban' - Includes plants called 'Phaison' & 'Tropicanna' - Perennial

Canna edulis - Achira, Queensland Arrowroot - Though usually included within Canna indica L., 1753 (not C. indica Curtis, 1799) it is listed here separately because it is a cultigen, a plant form developed by man and cultivated since pre-Columbian times in northern South America for its edible starchy rhizome - Perennial

Canna indica var. indica - Includes plants known as Canna coccinea Mill., 1768, C. discolor Lindl., 1829 - Perennial

Canna indica var. maculata - Also sold as Canna compacta var. cinnabarina, based on Canna cinnabarina Bouché, 1844 - Perennial

Canna indica var. sanctae-rosae - Based on Canna sanctae-rosae Kränzl., 1912 - Perennial

Canna latifolia - Synonymous with Canna tuerckheimii Kränzl., 1912? - Perennial

Canna liliiflora - Chias, Tacara - Includes plants formerly known as Canna brittonii Rusby, 1902 - Perennial

Canna lumbautum - A name with no botanical standing for plants collected in NE Mexico, a spelling variant of C. limbata Roscoe, 1824, which has been applied to plants from Ecuador to the Huasteca region of eastern Mexico. These are best called Canna indica L., 1753 (not C. indica Curtis, 1799) - Perennial

Canna X 'Musifolia' - Also sold as 'Musafolia' & 'Musaefolia' - Banana Canna - Perennial

Canna paniculata - Includes plants formerly known as Canna amambayensis Kränzl., 1916 and Canna lanuginosa Roscoe, 1828 - Perennial

Canna X 'Ra' - A hybrid of Canna X 'Bounty' & Canna glauca - Also know as Canna 'Longwood Yellow' - Perennial

Canna warscewiczii - Also sold as Canna indica var. warszewiczii - Perennial
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